Expansible bracelet for keys



March 10, 1954 R. F. DOMPIER EXPANSIBLE BRACELET FOR KEYS Filed Aug. 4, 1961 Fig.

m m7. m E 0 F w QM w United States Patent ()fiice 3,124,286 Patented Mar. 10, 1964 3,124,286 EXPANSIBLE BRACELET FOR KEYS Rafe F. Dompier, Wolfcreek, Oreg. Filed Aug. 4, 1961, Ser. No. 129,289 2 Claims. (Cl. 22428) The present invention relates to a special-purpose wristencircling bracelet which is unique in that it is expressly constructed and designed to reliably hold and carry a key or keys, for example, an automobile ignition key and a house door key.

Handling house door and car keys has always posed a problem and this is true despite the fact that almost everyone who has to carry keys employs a key ring or a key chain of one type or another. However, and the fact remains, when it becomes necessary for one to fish in a handbag or garment pockets to turn up the key for use, perplexing difficulties are often encountered. It is not at all uncommon for one to approach his automobile with his arms loaded with packages only to discover that he forgot, as he had planned, to have the car key available and in hand to conveniently unlock the car door. The same situation is just as often faced when carrying bundles from the car only to find that the front door key is not in hand and has to be inconveniently brought to hand. It follows that the instant concept has to do with simple, practical and convenient means through the medium of which the car door key, or house door key, as the case may be, is attached to the users wrist and may be conveniently grasped in the fingers without difiiculty.

The broad idea of a key carrying bracelet is, of course, not new and is revealed in the key bracelet in a patent to Hill 2,728,501. This particular patent is mentioned, to give the reader an available clue as to the state of the art to which the invention relates. If the stated patent is evaluated, as suggested it will be ascertained that the instant invention by contrast pertains to an innovation which is characterized by an expansible and contractible wrist encircling bracelet, and a chain with one end connected to the bracelet and the other end provided with a key ring carrying the desired key.

Construed from another point of view the invention has to do with a relatively short chain which has means at one end for detachably connecting the key to that end, elastic means which is permanently connected to the other end of the chain and wherein the elastic means is removably connectible to the person of the user preferably by way of the aforementioned expansible and contractible wrist embracing bracelet.

More explicitly the invention pertains to an expansible and contractible bracelet, a chain connected to the bracelet by way of an elastic element incorporated in the bracelet, a key ring carried by the chain, and a key detachably connected with the key ring.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a key chain and ring and the novel expansible bracelet for mounting the chained key on the wrist of the wearer.

FIGURE 2 is also a View in perspective and which is obviously based on FIGURE 1 and which shows how the key-carrying end portion of the elastic element in the bracelet is stretched to allow the key to be caught hold of and conveniently brought into use;

FIGURE 3 is a view on a larger scale showing the bracelet in plan and with parts broken away and shown in section as well as in elevation; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view on the section line 44 of FIGURE 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

It will be evident that all of the details and their con struction and association and arrangement will be found in the illustration identified as FIGURE 3. The bracelet as an entity is denoted by the numeral 6 and it is expansible and contractible and therefore may be readily put in position on or removed from the users wrist in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1. Illustration in FIG- URE 1 shows the normal retracted key carrying position and by comparing the same with FIGURE 2 the reader can determine at a glance just how the key 8 is rought into play. It may be stated in this connection that the expression key is intended to cover any key whether it be the ignition key, trunk key, house door key or key to ones tackle box. The key chain is relatively short and is denoted at 10 and one end thereof is provided with a split-type or an equivalent key ring 12. The ring is here shown as having separable ends with knobs or the like 14. Here again the key ring may vary in construction to suit the situation. The other end portion of the chain is embedded in an element or member which may be conveniently referred to as an anchoring ball or head 18. This same anchoring bead serves to accommodate a headed end 20 at a stretchable end portion 22 of an elastic as well as flexible element or band. The other end portion 24 terminates in a head 26 which is embedded in an end portion 28 of a kidney-shaped member St? which may be conveniently designated as a stone. The other end portion 32 of this stone is provided with a passage 34 and it is through this passage that the bead-equipped end portion 22 extends slidingly and in a manner to be stretched from the retracted position shown in FlGURE l to the extended key-using position illustrated in FIGURE 2. The bracelet embodies not only the elastic flexible element but, in addition suitable ornaments. Specifically the ornaments may comprise simple and suitable pearls or beads 36 each having a hole or opening 38 therethrough permitting the beads to be strung on the elastic element whereby the several component parts, the elastic element, beads, stone 3%) and anchoring ball or bead 18 provide an expansible and contractible bracelet. The chain dangles from the bracelet and carries the key ring which, in turn, has the key removably mounted thereon. By simply catching hold of the key and exerting a light stress or pull on the elastic element it is stretched as shown in FIGURE 2 thus enabling the user to easily unlock the door and when the key is released it will return or snap back to its normal out-of-theway carrying position.

It is believed that a careful consideration of the specification in conjunction with the views of the drawing and the invention as claimed will enable the reader to obtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the construction and arrangement of component parts, the mode of using the invention and the significantly acceptable features and advantages. Therefore, a more extensive description is believed to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A key holder comprising a wrist-encircling bracelet embodying an elongated stone provided at one end with a passage opening through said one end and opening at its opposite end through a median portion of one length- .wise surface of the stone, said median portion being provided with a recess constituting a bead-receiving seat, an elongated elastic wrist-encircling element having one end permanently attached to a cooperating end of the stone opposite to'the first-named end of the stone, the other end of said flexible element being free and passing slidingly through said passage from said one end toward said median portion and through the end of the passage which opens through said median portion, a chain-anchoring bead connected to the terminal of said free end portion and normally but accessibly lodged in said seat, a plurality of beads strung on that portion of the elastic element between the respective end portions of said stone, a key ring, and means connecting said key ring with said anchoring head.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and wherein said stone is shaped in resemblance of a kidney bean, and that portion of the elastic element which is joined to said chain anchoring bead being of a degree of elasticity that it in conjunction with the chain anchoring bead, key chain and key ring may be extended beyond the stone in order that the key may be caught hold of with the fingers of the user while, at the same time, said bracelet remains in its intended usable position encircling the Wrist of the wearer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,522,719 Johnson Sept. 19, 1950 2,665,042 Starolis Jan. 5, 1954 2,728,501 Hill Dec. 27, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,640 Great Britain Dec. 31, 1908 319,690 Switzerland Apr. 15, 1957 

1. A KEY HOLDER COMPRISING A WRIST-ENCIRCLING BRACELET EMBODYING AN ELONGATED STONE PROVIDED AT ONE END WITH A PASSAGE OPENING THROUGH SAID ONE END AND OPENING AT ITS OPPOSITE END THROUGH A MEDIAN PORTION OF ONE LENGTHWISE SURFACE OF THE STONE, SAID MEDIAN PORTION BEING PROVIDED WITH A RECESS CONSTITUTING A BEAD-RECEIVING SEAT, AN ELONGATED ELASTIC WRIST-ENCIRCLING ELEMENT HAVING ONE END PERMANENTLY ATTACHED TO A COOPERATING END OF THE STONE OPPOSITE TO THE FIRST-NAMED END OF THE STONE, THE OTHER END OF SAID FLEXIBLE ELEMENT BEING FREE AND PASSING SLIDINGLY THROUGH SAID PASSAGE FROM SAID ONE END TOWARD SAID MEDIAN PORTION AND THROUGH THE END OF THE PASSAGE WHICH OPENS THROUGH SAID MEDIAN PORTION, A CHAIN-ANCHORING BEAD CONNECTED TO THE TERMINAL OF SAID FREE END PORTION AND NORMALLY BUT ACCESSIBLY LODGED IN SAID SEAT, A PLURALITY OF BEADS STRUNG ON THAT PORTION OF THE ELASTIC ELEMENT BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE END PORTIONS OF SAID STONE, A KEY RING, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID KEY RING WITH SAID ANCHORING BEAD. 